made in Germany
{{Short description|Merchandise mark}}{{Other uses}}
{{use dmy dates |date=May 2023}}
File:DBP 1988 1378 Made in Germany.jpg
Made in Germany is a merchandise mark indicating that a product has been manufactured in Germany.
History
File:FAG made in Germany pic1.JPG) metal tin]]
The label was introduced in Britain by the Merchandise Marks Act 1887 (50 & 51 Vict. c. 28), to mark foreign produce more obviously, as foreign manufactures had been falsely marking inferior goods with the marks of renowned British manufacturing companies and importing them into the United Kingdom. Most of these were found to be originating from Germany, whose government had introduced a protectionist policy to legally prohibit the import of goods in order to build up domestic industry (Merchandise Marks Act - Oxford University Press).{{cite news|title=Dreist, dreister, Deutschland|url=https://www.spiegel.de/geschichte/made-in-germany-vom-stigma-zum-qualitaetssiegel-a-947688.html |lang=de |trans-title=Brazen, More Brazen, Germany |newspaper=Der Spiegel|date=24 August 2012 |accessdate=24 August 2012|last1=Lutteroth |first1=Johanna }}
According to Professor Asaf Zussman, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, in "The Rise of German Protectionism in the 1870s: A Macroeconomic Perspective",{{Cite web |first=Asaf |last=Zussman |title=The Rise of German Protectionism in The 1870s: A Macroeconomic Perspective |publisher=Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) |url=https://siepr.stanford.edu/publications/working-paper/rise-german-protectionism-1870s-macroeconomic-perspective |date=January 2002 |access-date=2023-02-25 |language=en}} the "Rye and Iron" tariffs introduced by Bismarck's Germany in 1879 caused a major reduction of imports in order to protect Germany's industries. As a response, the Free-trade Liberal government in the UK introduced the Merchandise Marks act to allow consumers to be able to choose whether or not they would continue to purchase goods from protectionist economies.
Germany successfully leveraged the Made in Germany tag as a brand synonymous of product quality, durability and reliability.{{cite news|title=How much is 'Made in Germany' really worth?|url=https://www.dw.com/en/how-much-is-made-in-germany-really-worth/a-17372908 |first=Rolf |last=Wenkel |work=Deutsche Welle|date=20 January 2014}}{{cite news|title=Tighter 'Made in Germany' rules criticised|url=https://www.thelocal.de/20120116/40137|publisher=The Local|date=16 Jan 2012}}{{cite news|title=Unpopular EU Proposal: 'Made in Germany' Label At Risk|url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/business/unpopular-eu-proposal-made-in-germany-label-at-risk-a-809300.html |work=Spiegel Online |access-date=6 June 2024 |date=January 16, 2012}}{{cite web|title='Made in Germany' in times of globalisation|url=http://blog.inpolis.com/2012/02/27/made-in-germany-in-times-of-globalisation/ |access-date=2015-03-21 |work=inpolis.com |first=Hans |last=Pul |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402230057/http://blog.inpolis.com/2012/02/27/made-in-germany-in-times-of-globalisation/ |date=27 February 2012 |archive-date=2015-04-02|url-status=dead}}{{cite book |isbn=9781032837536 |year=2013 |last1=A. Joseph |first1=Ugesh |title=The 'Made in Germany' Champion Brands |chapter=Branding and the 'Made in Germany' Brand: A Perspective |url=https://www.ashgate.com/pdf/SamplePages/The-Made-in-Germany-Champion-Brands-CH1.pdf |publisher=GOWER |access-date=2015-03-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402132309/https://www.ashgate.com/pdf/SamplePages/The-Made-in-Germany-Champion-Brands-CH1.pdf |archive-date=2015-04-02 |url-status=dead}}
"Made in Germany" is not controlled by a central regulatory body. However, {{Citation needed span|text=its status has been defined by several court rulings in Germany.|date=August 2011}} In 1973, the Bundesgerichtshof made a ruling that the label Made in Germany cannot be restricted to west German companies only. After this ruling, Made in West Germany was often used in Western Germany, while Made in GDR was used in eastern Germany.
In 1995, the Oberlandesgericht Stuttgart ruled that the term Made in Germany is misleading according to Germany's Fair Trades Act when the largest part is not German raw materials or German craftsmanship.
See also
References
{{Reflist|refs=
|publisher=The National Archives (United Kingdom) |accessdate=2012-10-20 |quote=The Merchandise Marks Act 1887 required, for the first time, that the country of origin should be marked on any imported goods bearing the name or trade mark of a United Kingdom manufacturer. . . . Under the Act, the addition of the country of origin to imported goods of any series or description could be enforced by Order in Council.}}
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Further reading
- {{cite book
| first = Hans-Günther
| last = Borck
| year = 1993
| title = Ein gemeinsames Erbe: "Made in Germany". Wettbewerb in Recht und Praxis
| pages = 301–303
}}
- {{cite book
| first = Julia
| last = Wulf
| year = 1995
| title = "Made in Germany": Wirtschaftliche Bedeutung und rechtliche Schutzmöglichkeiten
| location = Frankfurt am Main; New York
| publisher = Peter Lang Verlag
| isbn = 3-631-47785-6
}}
- {{cite web
| url = http://www.realgunreviews.com/is-my-made-in-germany-or-west-germany-sig-really-german/
| first = Steve
| last = Jenkins
| year = 2016
| title = Is my 'Made in Germany' (or West Germany) SIG Really German?
| location = Seattle, Washington
| publisher = RealGunReviews.com
}}
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